1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a disc loading mechanism for loading a disc used for information recording or information reproducing on a disc driving device causing the disc to rotate, and more particularly, to a disc loading apparatus for use in a disc player in which a disc rotating device is mounted on a movable chassis supported by a resilient member engaging with a stationary structure to be automatically loaded with a disc thereon.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several disc loading apparatus have been proposed for loading a disc used for recording or reproduction of an information signal on a disc rotating device provided in a disc player. One of these disc loading apparatus, which has been offered for miniaturizing the disc player, is constituted with a loading arm member supported on a stationary structure, such as a frame, to be rotatable, a driving roller attached to the loading arm member to be driven to rotate, and an idling roller attached to the stationary portion to be located above the driving roller. In the operation of such a disc loading apparatus, first, the loading arm member is so positioned that the driving roller is contiguous to the idling roller and driven to rotate thereat, and a disc is put between the driving roller and the idling roller to be carried to a position above the disc rotating device by means of the rotation of the driving roller. Then, the loading arm member is rotated to cause the driving roller to descend from the position contiguous to the idling roller, so that the disc which is put on the driving roller descends also together with the driving roller and engages with the disc rotating device. After that, the disc is clamped on the disc rotating device with a disc clamping device which, for example, engages indirectly and magnetically with the disc rotating device through the disc put therebetween, and the loading arm member is further rotated to cause the driving roller to descend more so as to be remote from the disc clamped on the disc rotating device. In such a manner as mentioned above, the disc is automatically loaded on the disc rotating device.
In general, it is feared that the disc player is hindered from performing the proper recording or reproducing operation by vibration or shock inflicted thereon from the outside. Therefore, it is desired that, in the disc player, a chassis on which a recording or reproducing mechanical arrangement including a disc rotating device for rotating a disc and a recording or reproducing head device provided to face to the disc put on the disc rotating device are mounted, is supported by a resilient supporting member, such as a spring, engaging with a stadionary frame so as to be movable in relation to the stationary frame for absorbing vibration or shock inflicted on the disc player and preventing the same from acting upon the recording or reproducing mechanical arrangement.
However, in the case where the disc player employing such a disc loading apparatus as mentioned above is constituted to have a chassis on which the disc rotating device is mounted and which is supported by a resilient supporting member engaging with a stationary frame therein, it is feared that the situation in which the disc is wounded by some moving portion contacting thereto or is not carried to the disc rotating portion is caused when vibration or shock in relatively large degree is inflicted on the disc player in which the disc loading or unloading operating is being carried out. That is, since the disc is supported on the side of the stationary frame to be positioned to face to the disc rotating device mounted on the chassis supported by the resilient supporting member engaging with the stationary frame or to be moved toward the position above the disc rotating device when the disc loading or unloading operating is being carried out, if the stationary frame is moved by the vibration or shock inflicted on the disc player, the disc which is supported on the side of the stationary frame is moved to be close to and remote from the chassis and is likely to run into the disc rotating device projecting from the chassis to be wounded thereby or be prevented from being carried to the position above the disc rotating device.
Further, if the stationary frame is moved by the vibration or shock inflicted on the disc player in the situation where the driving roller is not caused to be remote sufficiently from the disc clamped on the disc rotating device after the disc is carried to the disc rotating device, the driving roller moving together with the stationary frame is likely to run into the disc on the disc rotating device to wound the same.
In the case where the disc clamping device is made to be pulled apart from the disc rotating device by a releasing device connected with the stationary frame so as to release the disc from clamp in the disc unloading operation, if the stationary frame is moved by the vibration or shock inflicted on the disc player in which the disc unloading operation is being carried out, it is further feared that the disc clamping device is moved, together with the stationary frame, toward the disc rotating device to resist to be pulled by the releasing device apart from the disc rotating device, and therefore the releasing device can not cause the disc clamping device to be apart from the disc rotating device.
In view of the above, in the case of the disc player employing the disc loading apparatus as aforementioned, it is desired that the chassis on which the disc rotating device is mounted is supported by the resilient supporting member engaging with the stationary frame and, in addition, the relative movement between the chassis and the stationary frame is prevented from causing during the period of the disc loading or unloading operation.